Social Media Blog Concentration

In order to decide which area to focus on for my semester project, I wanted to choose a topic/industry that would yield interesting and unexpected results. I chose to track NBC's hit reality TV show "The Voice," Maroon 5, and Starbucks. Maroon 5's Adam Levine acts as a judge on the show." In addition, Starbucks is the main sponsor of the "The Voice," and appears consistently in episodes throughout each season. I specifically chose to focus on the "The Voice" because its sixth season premiers this coming February, and I wanted to pay close attention to how the show sells itself as it approaches a new season. The contrast between tracking a huge reality TV show, a popular celebrity, and an extremely successful company will give me a very comprehensive overview of the different ways to employ social media for the purpose of "selling" an image.

All three of my concentrations utilize various forms of social media, but Twitter and Instagram seem to be a common trend among the three of them. Starbucks also has a large presence on Facebook, more so than Maroon 5 or "The Voice." "The Voice" and Starbucks also use tumblr, and although there are many blogs dedicated to Maroon 5, it is questionable as to whether or not Adam Levine actually writes his own. I would say that Starbucks advertises via social media almost every day, and since "The Voice" premier is approaching, its presence on social media also frequents several times a week. Maroon 5 tweets about twice a week, and posts Instagram pictures every so often. It is evident that these larger corporations use social media much more frequently than he individually does. 

Starbucks' main goal in using social media is undoubtedly to sell its brand and attract consumers' attention to new products. Similarly, "The Voice" wants to draw in new viewers while maintaining its loyal fan base. As for Maroon 5, its objectives in using social media may be more obscure and less direct. I would argue that Adam Levine, specifically, wants to maintain his credibility as an artist, while simultaneously promoting his band and his role on the "The Voice."

A controversial issue related to this concentration is authenticity. "The Voice" obviously and unsubtly advertises for Starbucks and other brands constantly throughout the show and via social media. This perhaps lessens its credibility by shifting some focus from the actual talent to a brand. In addition, each of these three subjects faces vast competition within the industry. As a musical group, Maroon 5 must compete against other celebrities for fan loyalty, performances, etc... ."The Voice"also faces stiff competition with other reality singing shows such as "American Idol" and "The X-Factor." Lastly, Starbucks' competitors like Dunkin' Donuts also use social media to attract new consumers. This creates obstacles in all of these areas. Whether you are a celebrity, a broadcasted TV show, or a large food and beverage company, it is essential promote a unique brand and an image. These three focuses can help me understand how different individuals and industries work to promote their own self interest, while also "selling" within this specific field.